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Getting High Gets Harder

Some 467 new laws went into effect on Aug. 15, and most of them will impact citizens from every walk of life  even pot smokers.

For instance, Act 150 by Rep. Erich E. Ponti, a Baton Rouge Republican, allows certain employers in the refining and chemical industries to lower the initial cut-off level used in marijuana testing. Under previous law, drugs tests aimed at detecting marijuana use couldnt be considered positive if the results were lower than 50 nanograms per milliliter. Greg Bowser of the Louisiana Chemical Association calls the change a safety precaution, saying the proposed guidelines will catch some drug users who are dodging the old screenings. Youre allowing employers to be more stringent on their drug testing policies on marijuana than they currently can, he told lawmakers during the session.  Jeremy Alford